The Departed
by zgirl21
Summary: Anakin and Padme are both Jedi who are sent to protect Senator Sabe Amidala on Naboo. AnakinPadmeSabe, Alternate Universe. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

THE DEPARTED

Chapter One

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Anakin Skywalker walked side by side to the meeting room of the Jedi Council. There had been rumors that Anakin was next in line to be Knighted, and he was well aware of the fact that the Council was about to give him his first mission alone.

Anakin took a deep breath and followed Obi-Wan into the meeting. He nervously glanced around, hoping to find a familiar, friendly face, but found none. He knew that many of the Council members didn't have much faith in him. It was such a relief to have Obi-Wan there for him because he wasn't so sure he could do this on his own just yet.

Anakin stood a little straighter as the Council began to give its orders.

"Padawan Skywalker, as you know, Senator Sabe Amidala of Naboo has had numerous attacks on her life as of late. You and Master Naberrie will travel to Naboo with the Senator and protect her there until we give you further instructions."

Anakin froze in disbelief. He cast a quick glance around the room in search of her and when their eyes met, he flashed her a weak smile.

"Do you have any questions, Padawan Skywalker?"

Before Obi-Wan could stop him, Anakin blurted out: "Why is Master Naberrie coming as well? I was under the impression that I would be given my own assignment soon."

Master Windu chuckled at the headstrong Padawan and quickly answered. "You have been given your own assignment. Your Master is not coming with you. The Council has decided, however, that it would helpful to have two Jedi protecting the Senator instead of one and Master Naberrie is also from Naboo and is acquainted with the Senator."

Anakin nodded disappointedly. "When do we leave?"

"You will meet with the Senator immediately and then escort her to Naboo."

With that, the meeting was concluded and each Jedi rose to leave. Obi-Wan placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Anakin. I know you wanted to do this on your own. But you and Padme get along well, so you'll at least have some company on this mission. I know I'm not always the best company sometimes."

That got a hint of a smile from Anakin so Obi-Wan continued. "I wish you luck, my friend. I have faith that you will succeed in this mission. Just think of this as the first step to getting rid of me."

Anakin chuckled at that and they embraced. Then, Anakin's sense of security was gone.

He searched the room again and once he found what he was looking for, he carefully walked over to her.

"Master Naberrie?"

"Please, Anakin, call me Padme. You know that."

"I know, it's just that I guess I'm still trying to get used to your new title, it's almost hard to not use it all the time."

She smiled and even laughed lightly at his words. "Well, I think it's about time we see to the Senator, don't you?"

He chuckled and they left for Senator Amidala's chambers.

* * *

Once Anakin and Padme arrived at the Senator's chambers, they were quickly shown in. Within minutes, Senator Sabe Amidala was sitting across from them.

"Thank you both for assisting me. I have full confidence that my safety is in very capable hands. Master Naberrie, I have yet to congratulate you on your Knighting. It's such a shame it had to derive from your own Master's death."

"Yes, thank you Sabe." Padme quickly looked away after that, causing Anakin to turn to her in concern.

"And you, Padawan Skywalker, I've heard wonderful things about your abilities."

Upon hearing the Senator speak, Anakin forced his eyes away from Padme to answer.

"I'm trying to live up to them."

"Well I've heard you're doing a good job with that." She smiled politely but her eyes lingered on him which made Anakin suddenly uncomfortable. That feeling didn't pass until Sabe retired for the night.

Once Sabe had left, the two Jedi found themselves alone. Anakin found his way to the veranda and within seconds, he was surprised to see that Padme had joined him.

"It's kind of cold out here. Maybe you should go back inside and keep an eye on the monitors."

She smirked and laughed melodiously. "Why? And let you have all the fun out here?"

He smiled back at her as she began to lean against the edge. He watched her as she looked over the edge of the veranda and sighed deeply. She seemed so sad, like the world had suddenly come crashing down on her without any warning. And it had. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder which made her turn her gaze towards him.

"I'm truly sorry about Shaak-Ti. I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you."

She smiled faintly through her fresh tears and nodded. "Thank you. I think I would do anything if I could just have her back for one moment. She was really all I had. She was my family."

He nodded sadly and rubbed her back soothingly. "Well…uh…should I change the subject?"

She smiled and urged him to do just that.

"Well…how do you know Senator Amidala? I know you're both from Naboo, but so are a lot of people."

"We grew up together. We were neighbors actually. We even went to the Youth Political Academy together. You know, everyone thought that _I_ would be the queen and Senator one day. But then my midiclorians were tested and I had to leave."

"Yeah. You were the probably the oldest padawan the Order has ever had."

She punched him lightly in the shoulder and he quickly retorted with: "You're probably the youngest Master the Order has ever had too."

She looked down sadly, then looked back up at him with new tears in her eyes. "You know that doesn't really matter to me, right? My becoming a Master cost Shaak-Ti her life."

"I'm sorry I brought it up again."

"It's alright. Besides, I haven't finished telling you about Sabe and me. At first, my parents wanted to stop the Order from taking me. I begged and pleaded with them to let me go but they wouldn't listen to me. It wasn't until Sabe talked to them that they began to understand that maybe becoming a Jedi was something I wanted to do. After that, Sabe helped with all the arrangements for leaving for Coruscant. She was even there to see me off. She was a really good friend to me."

"Was?"

"We were ten, Anakin. And that was ten years ago, too. Since then, I've only really seen her briefly and haven't really had a good conversation with her since we were children."

He nodded and then they both fell silent, each looking out into the bustling of Coruscant, grateful for a little peace and quiet.

Suddenly, something popped into Padme's mind. "Anakin, I'm sorry that I had to come along with you on this assignment. I know how much you wanted to do this by yourself."

He smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I think the Council is close to doing that. But they probably want to see how I am without Obi-Wan first, before they give me my own assignment. Besides, we haven't really talked in a while, you know? It's nice to catch up with you."

She returned his smile but it quickly faded.

Anakin nodded to her. "Yeah, I felt it too."

They took off for Sabe's bedroom and threw open the door. Padme quickly ignited her light saber and killed the venomous worms that were crawling on Sabe, while Anakin managed to grab the bounty hunter before he jumped out the window.

"Who sent you?"

The bounty hunter remained silent so Anakin raised his light saber to the bounty hunter's neck. "Who sent you?"

Before Anakin could stop him, the bounty hunter raised his blaster to his chest and fired.

"Anakin, no!"

But it was the bounty hunter that slumped in Anakin's arms. Sabe ran to Anakin and threw her arms around him which he had to politely remove from his body. But Sabe clung to him and began to sob into his chest.

"Oh, Anakin! I thought you were dead! You saved my life! You saved my life!"

Padme frowned and walked over to them and despite the situation, almost burst out laughing when she saw the look of desperation on Anakin's face, begging her to help him get Sabe away from him.

After a few tortuous moments, Padme gently led Sabe away from Anakin and helped her back to her bed. Anakin sighed with relief that the Senator had finally released him and quickly fled the room.

Sabe watched him go and began to cry again. "Why is he leaving, Padme?"

"He's just going to alert security. He'll be back shortly."

Sabe nodded and bit her lip in despair. "I want him to come back."

Padme frowned at her and suddenly, it dawned on her. "You know, Sabe, Jedi have to live by a Code. This Code says that Jedi are forbidden to have attachments, which means that Anakin can't return your feelings for him."

Sabe's gaze snapped to meet Padme's. "I don't have feelings for him."

Padme nodded quickly before answering. "Alright, I just thought you should know that."

Sabe's gaze began to harden and she pointed to the door. "You can leave now, Padme. I don't need you here anymore."

Padme nodded respectfully and quickly left the room to search for Anakin.

She found him again by the veranda and sighed. "Anakin, did you alert security?"

"Yeah…just a few minutes ago."

She walked closer to him and found herself laughing. "I'm sorry you had to see Sabe like that. She really hasn't changed that much."

He simply ran his hands through his hair and turned to face her. "Well, I don't really think that's what it was."

She shrugged and walked a little closer. "I just told her that you can't return any feelings she has for you."

"Ah yes, the Code."

"Yes and that Code will protect you from Sabe's clutches."

He began to smile at that and soon, he was laughing hysterically. "I think you've got a point, there."

She couldn't help but join in his laughter. They laughed for longer than either had really expected but they had always enjoyed each other's company and this time was no exception.

Once the laughter subsided, Padme checked her watch and sighed. "I should probably go back and check on Sabe. You want to come along?"

He quickly shook his head, which caused her to laugh yet again.

"Alright, suit yourself. I'll see you later."

He nodded to her and watched her as she turned to leave. There was something about Padme that got to him every time he saw her. She was intelligent, graceful, and extremely gifted in the ways of the Force. Yet there was something else there that he couldn't quite put his finger on. No…he shook his head firmly. Thoughts like those would lead him down a dangerous path.


	2. Chapter 2

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Two

"Anakin, when do you believe you will finally be Knighted?"

Anakin closed his eyes briefly in slight annoyance at Sabe's attention and intense stare. She had been acting like this ever since they left for Naboo and now that they were there, her interest in him only seemed to deepen with each passing minute. He glanced quickly at an equally annoyed Padme and took a deep breath in an effort to conjure some patience.

"Well, Senator…"

"Please, Anakin, call me Sabe."

He smiled weakly and cleared his throat in a valiant effort to stay sane. "Well, Sabe, like I mentioned earlier, I expect to become a Knight as soon as this mission is complete."

Sabe's eyebrows raised in a joyful expression and she grinned brightly. "That's incredible. I mean, you're only what…twenty years old?"

"Twenty-one, actually."

"Well, you're well on your way to becoming one of the youngest Knights ever, right?"

"I guess you could say that. Padme will still be the youngest though."

He looked her way and gave her a genuine smile, which Padme returned gratefully. Sabe, however, witnessed the exchange and gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"You'll be the youngest male Knight then. Even Padme can't take that away from you."

Sabe's plastered grin caused both Anakin and Padme to stare at her in shock and wonder what she could have possibly meant be that. Padme shook her head in disappointment. It seemed as though her friend hadn't changed at all.

"Listen, Sabe, I don't know what you're getting at here. If there's something you need to say to me then please say it."

Sabe only stared back at Padme, almost as if she was shocked that Padme had had the nerve to say that to her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Padme. I only meant that Anakin will be able to be known for that as well. It's only fair, you know, after all his hard work and dedication."

"So you're saying I haven't worked for my title? That I haven't been dedicated? That I haven't earned it?"

Sabe merely shook her head. "I would never say that, Padme. You know that. Besides, we're friends. I thought you knew better than that."

Padme stood up and began to leave the dining room, but before she left, she turned to face Sabe one more time. "You don't know what it's been like for me. You don't know how hard it was for me to lose Shaak-Ti. I thought you would've known better too."

With that, Padme walked out of the room, leaving Anakin with Sabe. He had watched her leave and could sense that this confrontation with Sabe was harder on Padme than she was letting on. His heart went out to her and he immediately rose to follow her.

"Wait, Anakin, don't leave me here by myself. She'll be fine."

Anakin gazed sternly at Sabe and shook his head. "I know what you were trying to do Sabe and I don't appreciate it. You and Padme are just going to have to find some way to get along because I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Leaving a disheartened Sabe alone at the dinner table, Anakin quickly exited the room to search for Padme. She couldn't have gone far, after all, there were only so many rooms in the Lake Retreat. After searching every room in the Retreat, he began to worry. She was no where to be found and his heart began to pound. Where was she? Was she alright? He closed his eyes and let the Force guide him to her. Once he found her Force signature, he allowed his own to wrap around her in a comforting embrace and sighed with relief when he felt her begin to calm down.

He finally found her sitting on a terrace that looked out over a beautiful, glistening lake. But that wasn't his main concern. Somehow, his feet brought him to her and he did the only thing he could do: he pulled her into his arms and let her cry. He stroked her hair comfortingly and waited until her sobs had subsided before releasing her so he could wipe the tears from her eyes.

He smiled tenderly at her and whispered: "Everything's going to be alright. Don't worry, Padme. Just let me take care of you for awhile."

She nodded and let her head rest against his chest once again. She breathed in deeply and found his scent, which had always comforted her in a way she had never been able to describe.

"You always know what to say to make me feel better. Thank you, Anakin."

"Don't worry about it. That's what I'm here for, right?"

He smiled when he heard her soft laughter in his ear and realized that he had never heard anything so sweet. It was music to his ears and he knew he had to hear more of it. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he prayed she didn't notice.

Padme sighed softly and found herself wanting to be closer to him, to feel more of his warmth. He made her feel safe and she had never needed anyone to do that for her before. As a Jedi, she was the one who was supposed to be the protector. She wasn't supposed to be the one that needed protecting. But being with Anakin like that made her feel as though she couldn't get enough, that she might always need him to be there for her.

"Anakin, I can't thank you enough for being here right now. You really should be with Sabe."

He laughed lightly. "Are you kidding me? I'm afraid to even be in the same room as her. There's no telling what she'll do to me with those eyes."

Her laughter returned once again and his heart skipped a beat. He almost jumped from surprise at this new feeling. He didn't know how to describe it because he had never felt this before. But then again, there had always been something with Padme. Whenever he saw her, something inside of him screamed her name, begged to be let out but he knew that whatever that was, he couldn't acknowledge it. They were Jedi and even though he wasn't sure what this feeling was, he did know that the Jedi would not approve.

Padme sighed as she realized that they should probably get back to Sabe. They were forgetting their duties and it was time to get back to that. She found herself reluctantly untangling herself from Anakin's arms and smiled at his confusion towards her actions.

"We need to get back, Anakin. We're not doing a very good job so far with Sabe."

He groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Oh yeah. Sabe. Thanks for reminding me."

"You know, for someone who is so set on becoming Knight after this mission is over, I'd like to think you would be a little more enthusiastic about this."

"I get what you're saying but that doesn't mean I have to like this."

She laughed again and he couldn't help but smile brightly. There it was again.

"Well, think of this way, we have to do our job in order for us to finish it, and the sooner we finish it, the sooner you get to get away from Sabe."

"Good point. Let's go."

Padme's laughter floated into the wind as they walked back together. Anakin almost reached for his hand, but quickly stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. He knew full well that he couldn't continue this way and that it was wrong to have any feelings towards Padme. They were just friends. That was all. No one said being friends was against the Code. But Anakin realized with a heavy heart that what he knew he had always felt for Padme was more complicated than friendship and that it wasn't something one could just wish away. It was a feeling that was there to stay and he painfully admitted to himself that maybe he didn't want this feeling to go away.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered what it might be like if Padme returned his feelings, then quickly shook his head. No…Padme was smarter than that. She knew better and she knew the Code. He knew he was weak in this respect and had never fully understood why the Code insisted on no attachments. He feared he had already broken the Code, perhaps a long time ago, and that now, Padme would always be a scar on his heart for he knew that she would never allow herself to feel what he was feeling.

While Anakin contemplated in silent despair, Padme was also raging a battle within herself for she too had felt it. There was something about Anakin that she couldn't describe, and that made her feel something that she couldn't name. Her feelings had hesitantly taken root and she feared there was no going back now. Although she knew that everything taking place in her mind and in her heart was wrong and against everything she had been taught, she couldn't help it. It had always been there between them, ever since they had met when they were young padawans, some bond had formed between them and she knew it would be next to impossible to sever.

Padme glanced quickly at Anakin and closed her eyes. Then her eyes flew open again in surprise. Anakin felt the same way. Her heart wanted to soar at this realization, but couldn't because of the chains of the Code. She closed her eyes one more time and when they opened, she found new strength within herself to resist and push away any feelings she had towards Anakin because if she didn't, if she surrendered, it would destroy them both.


	3. Chapter 3

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Three

It was a beautiful day and the view was exhilarating to take in. The sun was shining brightly, creating a warm atmosphere, and the waterfalls combined with the meadow was more than enough to add to the calm that enveloped them. Sabe and Anakin walked side by side, while Padme kept a safe distance behind. She had been attempting to distance herself from Anakin as much as she could, but it was proving to be difficult to keep away from him when they were supposed to protecting Sabe. They had to work together, so being in close proximity was inevitable.

Padme sighed loudly, causing Anakin to quickly turn his head to show his concern. He frowned when she immediately turned away from his gaze. This had been going on ever since early that morning. What had he done wrong? He racked his brain for anything he had done or said that could have upset her but found nothing. He knew he had never been anything but good to her the entire time they had known each other. Besides, she had been acting normal when they had first arrived on Naboo…and she had changed after their talk last night…oh gods! Padme knew about his feelings for her...he bit his lip and cast one more glance before taking a deep breath.

"Padme, you know you don't have to stay back there."

Padme froze and attempted to look at both Anakin, who was staring at her expectantly, and Sabe, who was less then thrilled at this new development. Padme quickly regained her composure and shook her head.

"No, it's alright, Anakin. I'm fine back here."

He nodded sadly and turned back to continue his walk, his hands folded behind his back in deep thought. It wasn't supposed to be like this between them. To be honest, he hadn't wanted anything to change and now, because he couldn't keep his emotions in check, it had changed drastically.

Padme rubbed her aching temples and couldn't help but feel guilty. He didn't deserve to be treated this way. After all, he didn't even know why she was behaving this way. He had always been there when she needed him and this was how she repaid him. She could sense his feelings towards her but knew she couldn't fault him because she shared those feelings. But nothing could ever come from it and he had to know that.

Sabe's eyes shifted from Anakin to Padme and she slowly realized what was going on. She hated to admit it, but it was more than obvious that Anakin and Padme were in love. But it was also more than obvious that Padme wanted nothing to do with Anakin….and that wasn't fair. Anakin deserved someone who could love him completely, someone… like her. She quickly cast an angry glance at Padme before sending a sweet smile in Anakin's direction. Padme always had what she wanted and this time was no exception.

The day dragged on with an awkward silence between Anakin and Padme. Sabe tried several times to get Anakin to talk to her, but he wasn't in the mood for talking. Disappointed, Sabe finally gave up and suggested that they walk back to the Retreat, which neither Jedi objected to.

Once they had arrived back at the Retreat, Padme silently escorted Sabe to her rooms, leaving Anakin alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Padme and Sabe walked side by side, neither one really knowing what to say to the other. It was an awkward silence and the tension between them was so thick one could reach out and touch it. Padme sighed in defeat, knowing full well that her old friend was upset and that it obviously had something to do with Anakin.

"Sabe, why have things changed so much between us?"

Sabe paused, looked at Padme for a few moments then continued walking. Padme had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at Sabe's dramatic display, and decided it was more practical to talk to her and possibly get some answers from her then to join in Sabe's game.

"Will you talk to me, please?"

When Sabe refused to respond, Padme was left with no choice but to grab Sabe by the arm and force her to look her. "Sabe…this ridiculous. What's going on? We used to be such good friends. We could always tell each other everything…now, I feel like I don't even know you."

Sabe cleared her throat meaningfully before answering. "Maybe that's because you don't."

Padme's brow furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means. It's been about ten years since we've actually sat down and had a conversation and now that you're here, you just expect everything to be like it was?"

Padme shook her head quickly. "No, that's not what I mean. I'm saying that you're different than how you used to be. You never used to do the things you're doing now."

"Such as?"

Padme sighed in defeat and released her grip on Sabe's arm. "Like chasing after Anakin."

Sabe's face fell into a look of such anger and betrayal that Padme had to take a step back in shock. "You don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I think I'm the one that should be saying this to you."

Padme stared at her in shock; unable to comprehend that Sabe might know her innermost thoughts. "I don't know what you mean."

Sabe laughed mercilessly. "Yes you do. I see the way you look at him, _Master_ Naberrie. You have got to be the biggest hypocrite I've ever met in my life. What was it…two, maybe three days ago, _you_ were the one lecturing me about the Jedi Code and here you are now, pining away for him like a lovesick teenager. You're the Jedi, Padme! You're the one that can't have him!"

Padme nodded her head and looked carefully at Sabe. "You're right. I can't have him. But neither can you. He would be expelled from the Order, Sabe. Is that what you really want? For him to have to give up his dream of being a Jedi, just to be with you?"

"So you're admitting you love Anakin."

"No, I'm saying that the Code forbids attachments, which is why Anakin and I can't act on any feelings we have for anyone. Don't try to ruin his life, Sabe. He's better than that and one day, he's going to be the greatest Jedi that ever lived. Please don't ruin that for him."

Sabe looked away and after a few silent moments, continued walking back to her bedroom with Padme keeping a safe distance behind her.

* * *

"Congratulations, Anakin, you're doing a fine job so far."

Anakin grinned at his Master and leaned back in his chair proudly. "Yeah, I already knew that, Master. Pretty soon, I'm not going to have to worry about you anymore."

Obi-Wan laughed good-naturedly and shook his head in feigned annoyance. "We'll see about that, my very young and naïve padawan."

That caused another round of laughter between the two men. However, once the laughter subsided, Anakin's expression turned into a more serious one.

"Master, there's something I have to ask you. I don't really know how to say it, so I'll just come out with it…are there any exceptions to the attachment rule? I mean…is there a clause of some kind, an amendment, anything?"

Obi-Wan stared at his padawan's image in shock and leaned forward slightly. "Are you in some kind of trouble, Anakin? If you are, you can tell me and I'll help you any way I can."

Anakin quickly shook his head. "No, no, no…that's not what I meant…I didn't get anyone…no, I'm not in that kind of trouble. I just want to know. That's all."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, still trying to register Anakin's question. After a few moments of awkward silence, he finally remembered that he still had to answer Anakin's question.

"Well…there aren't any amendments but…there is one 'exception'. Jedi aren't expected to be celibate, Anakin. You can have…sex…if you choose to; it's just that that act can't be a result of an attachment."

"You mean love?"

"Yes."

"That's not good enough." Anakin whispered, almost inaudibly, but Obi-Wan heard it and his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Anakin…what is this all about?"

Anakin quickly looked away from his Master's image and took a deep breath. "It's not what you think and it's really not important. I just needed to know for sure."

Obi-Wan bit his lip in thought and nodded slowly. "Do you have any other questions?"

Anakin shook his head, causing Obi-Wan to nod. "Alright, Anakin. I'll let you go, then. Just remember that I'm here and that you can talk to me. Alright?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. May the Force be with you, Anakin."

"And you, Master."

Obi-Wan leaned forward and switched off the monitor then sat back in his chair in deep thought. It was plainly obvious that Anakin was keeping something from him. And he had a sinking feeling that it had a great deal to do with a certain Senator of Naboo.

Anakin turned off the monitor and sighed deeply. Well, that was it then. There was nothing he could do. He would just have to push away his feelings, as hard as that was going to be, but he had to do it.

He sighed again and began to pace around the room. He and Padme were going to have to have a long discussion about what they were going to do. And that, he regretfully realized, would also have to involve admitting that he had feelings for her. This was not going to be easy at all.

Suddenly, his head snapped up at the sound of blaster fire and shrill screaming. Padme's image quickly passed through his mind and without further hesitation, Anakin was out the room and sprinting to the other side of the Retreat.


	4. Chapter 4

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Four

Anakin ran as fast as his feet could carry him until his eyes found what he was looking for. He cried out in horror when he saw Padme's body slumped against the wall and the body of a bounty hunter lying a few feet away from her. He was immediately at her side and gathered her up into him arms, tears running down his cheeks. He felt her neck for a pulse, and thankfully found a weak but present one.

"Oh gods…please be alright, Padme. You can't do this to me…please…I…"

He hugged her tightly to his chest one more time and then quickly stood with Padme still in his arms to carry her to the nearest form of help. Taking a quick glance around the room for Sabe, he found her crouched behind a nearby bush.

"Come on, Sabe. We have to help Padme. Where's the medic in this place?"

Sabe stood up slowly, as if in a daze, and began walking in the direction Anakin desperately needed to go to.

"This way, Anakin. My doctor's over here."

Anakin started running with Padme in his arms, hoping that they would make it in time. When Sabe couldn't keep up with him, he kept on, now knowing where he needed to go.

Once Anakin found it, he quickly explained to the doctor what had happened, who promptly had him lay Padme onto a bed and despite Anakin's protests, quickly forced him out of the room.

Sighing in defeat, Anakin ran his hand nervously through his hair and resigned himself to a nearby chair, not giving Sabe as much as a glance. He rested his head in his hands and began to pray that she would be alright. She had to be because he wouldn't be able to go on if she didn't. He knew he would give his own life to save her…and now, she was fighting for her life and there was nothing he could do except pray.

Finally, the doctor emerged from the room, prompting Anakin to jump to his feet.

"You can come inside now."

Anakin quickly followed the doctor into the room and was immediately at Padme's side.

"She's suffered two blaster wounds, but thankfully, neither was fatal. However, she'll be unconscious for awhile."

"When will she wake up?" Anakin said softly and brushed a hand down the side of her face.

"It's hard to say. She's been through a traumatic experience so this is her body's way of reacting, but she's healthy, and I think it's safe to say she'll wake when she's ready to."

Anakin nodded and thanked the doctor, who had decided to give them some time alone. He looked down at Padme and his eyes began to water. She looked peaceful, like she was in a deep sleep, but that still didn't change what had happened to her. He would never forgive himself for this…if only he had offered to walk Sabe back instead of just letting Padme do it… if only they had walked Sabe back together, this wouldn't have happened. It was his fault.

Anakin bent down closer to Padme's face and after a moment's hesitation, placed a tender kiss on her forehead. As he leaned back, he realized what it was that he felt for Padme. It was love. He loved her and it had always been there.

He bit his lip and leaned back down to her again to lay a hand gently on her cheek. This time, he wasn't fighting his feelings; he was letting them sweep him away. For once in his life, he knew what it felt like to be complete. There had always been a part of him that was missing but for these few precious seconds, he was whole. He loved her and it was as simple and as complicated as that.

He took her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to will her to open her eyes for him. He sighed when he found his efforts were in vain and resigned himself to simply sitting with her, still holding her hand. She had to wake up. She had to get better. He knew he wouldn't be able to survive without her in his life, even if it could only be in friendship, he needed her to always be there…and he needed to love her, even if he could never tell her.

Anakin's head snapped up when he felt another presence in the room and narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell on Sabe. He watched her suspiciously as she tentatively stepped closer to Padme's bed and sat on the edge.

"What happened, Sabe?"

She looked up at him, then looked back down at Padme as she spoke. "She was walking me back to my room when an attacker jumped at us out of no where. He started shooting at us and she pushed me into the bushes. She somehow deflected most of his shots back at him, but I knew a few of them hit her too. They both fell to the ground and that's when you came."

She swallowed and looked back at him sadly before continuing. "You know we haven't really been getting along, but that doesn't mean I wanted that to happen to her."

He nodded and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I know, Sabe. I think she's going to be alright, though. At least that's what the doctor says, anyway."

She smiled softly then rose from the bed. "I'm glad to hear that. I should probably leave now. I don't think I'm needed here anyways."

"No, Sabe…you can stay. I'm sure Padme would want you to be here."

She shook her head quickly. "No, I don't think so."

"Well, can I at least walk you back?"

"No, she needs someone to stay with her. I'll have one of the guards do it."

He nodded and watched her leave, then turned his attention back to Padme, placing another tender kiss on her forehead.

* * *

"Master Kenobi, what exactly are you suggesting?"

"Only that I believe Anakin is confused by his feelings. I don't think he would do anything to act on those feelings but I do think that Anakin would be better serving somewhere else."

The Council members looked at one another in apprehension. It was rare that Jedi had to be pulled from a mission and reassigned and even rarer that it was done under these circumstances. Each member had always been wary of Anakin, some had voiced this opinion, while others had not, but the doubt in him was still there. They could feel Anakin's confusion in the Force and each one knew that perhaps it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I believe you may be right about this, Master Kenobi. It's in Anakin's best interest if he is reassigned." Master Windu said, speaking for the rest of the Council.

Obi-Wan nodded gratefully. "Thank you for your understanding with this situation. As soon as he returns to the Temple, I will speak with him and all this will be straightened out."

The Council members nodded their approval, signaling the end of the meeting. Before Obi-Wan had a chance to leave, he felt a tap on the back of his leg. He turned only to Yoda's concerned green face.

"Have a moment, do you?"

"Yes, of course, Master Yoda."

They waited until the room had cleared and then Yoda motioned for Obi-Wan to take the seat next to him.

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the issue at hand and then opened once again to meet Obi-Wan's gaze.

"More about this conversation with your padawan, you must tell me."

"There's nothing more to tell. I've already told the Council everything that was said."

Yoda rapped his wooden cane on the floor. "No. Something else, there is. Feel it, I do. Hiding something, Skywalker is."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in confusion. Anakin never kept secrets from him because he could always feel what Anakin was thinking. His intuition had never been wrong before…but yet something told him that Yoda was right. There was something else; some piece of the puzzle that was Anakin was missing.

"I believe you're right, Master Yoda. It has to have something to do with Senator Amidala. Do you think…could he have gotten her pregnant? That could explain his questions, even if he did deny it."

"Correct, that is not. Much confusion in Skywalker, I sense. Something deeper and more dangerous, this is."

"What?"

Yoda closed his eyes again and reached out within the Force. "Clouded, the Force is. Difficult to tell. Give up, we must not."

Obi-Wan nodded as he watched Yoda leave. He stared out the window and sighed deeply. What was Anakin hiding from him? What was it that he felt he couldn't even tell his own Master? Whatever it was…he knew that it was just as Yoda had said. It was deep and dangerous, possibly more than he could even begin to imagine.


	5. Chapter 5

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Five

Anakin sighed and ran his hand anxiously through his unruly hair. He gripped Padme's hand a little tighter, as if trying to convey the message to her: _please wake up, please Padme, I love you. _He waited several moments and bowed his head when he realized that it hadn't worked. Maybe the doctor had been right. Maybe Padme would wake when she was ready to. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. He wanted to be the one to help her wake up. But he was slowly beginning to accept that it might be awhile before he was finally able to see her beautiful eyes.

He hardly glanced up when the doctor entered the room. They had been doing this for two days now and as much as he hated it, they had easily fallen into the routine of caring for an unconscious Padme. He quickly stood as the doctor proceeded to check on Padme's condition, and after he had finished, Anakin immediately sat back down and retrieved her hand.

He sighed again and he wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or plain frustration. How much more of this was could he possibly take? He longed to see her open her eyes, even if it was just for a moment because then he would at least have something to cling to. He was snapped back to reality when he heard his comlink beeping.

Cursing under his breath, he tore himself away from Padme and retrieved his comlink. To his surprise, Obi-Wan's image appeared.

"Hello, Anakin. There is an urgent matter I need to discuss with you."

Anakin nodded quickly. "Yes. What is it?"

"Anakin…I don't really know how to tell you this but, you've been reassigned."

His mouth dropped open in shock. "What? Why? I haven't done anything…"

"No, no…of course you haven't. The Council is just trying to prevent that from happening."

Anakin's eyes narrowed slightly and felt his jaw clench up. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Obi-Wan sighed and ran his hand through his hair before responding. "Anakin…do have feelings for the Senator?"

Anakin froze in disbelief. What the hell? "What? Why would the Council think that? Why would you think that, Master?"

"Our previous conversation led me to believe that you have developed feelings for someone and the logical choice is the Senator."

"The Senator? Why in Sith would I have feelings for her? Have you met her, Master?"

"Anakin…please…control yourself. I just think you would be better serving somewhere that presented no temptation for you to break the Code."

Anakin sighed and shook his head. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Anakin, just try to be reasonable, alright? Padme is perfectly capable of finishing the assignment herself and the Council can easily assign you to a different one."

He looked down sadly before responding. "She's not capable of doing anything. Padme was shot two days ago. She's been unconscious ever since."

Obi-Wan leaned forward, the shock and immediate concern clearly written on his face. "What? Is she alright?"

"The doctor said she'll live. But there's no telling when she'll wake up."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. "I see. I'm sure the Council will have disagreements if you stay until Padme is well enough to complete the assignment. Until then, Anakin, please…just be careful and don't do anything rash."

Anakin smiled weakly. "Of course, Master."

They said their goodbyes and Anakin returned to Padme's side immediately after. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Their time together was about to be cut short and now that he was to be reassigned, he wasn't sure when he would be able to see her again. Just that very thought brought unshed tears to his eyes and he furiously rubbed his eyes in an effort to make it all go away. Why couldn't they be together? Why couldn't they find a way?

By some miracle, he felt the bed move and immediately glanced up to see Padme staring up at him. A huge grin spread across his face and he grasped her hand a little tighter.

"Anakin? What happened? Where am I?"

He smiled reassuringly at her before answering: "You were shot, Padme. But you're going to be alright. You've been unconscious for two days now."

She looked around the room, realization dawning in her eyes. "You've…you've been here the whole time, haven't you?"

He nodded and continued to stare into her eyes, looking for something else than gratitude in them. "Yeah, I have."

She frowned and turned her gaze to their intertwined hands. "Why? What about Sabe?"

He laughed lightly and ran his free hand through his hair. "I couldn't leave you here all by yourself. Besides, Sabe's fine. There's a guard with her."

"Oh…does the Council know?"

"I just told Obi-Wan actually. He's probably telling the Council as we speak."

She nodded and looked away, her expression completely unreadable. Anakin searched her face and his concern began to deepen.

"Padme…are you alright? Is something wrong?"

She looked back up at him and for the first time in a very long time, she smiled. Anakin couldn't help but smile back at her, especially when he felt her squeeze his hand lightly.

"I'm alright, Anakin. Just a little sore, but I think that's to be expected, huh?"

"I suppose. Do you want me to find the doctor? Maybe he can give you something that will help that?"

She nodded quickly and he immediately rose to leave, desperately fighting the urge to kiss her forehead like he had come so accustomed to before she awoke. He walked briskly out of the room; despite an inner voice tell him not to leave her. He walked a little faster and couldn't look back at her, knowing that if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave her.

Once she heard the door close, she closed her eyes in deep thought. He had been there the whole time. Somehow, she had known this even if her unconscious state, she had sensed his presence and it had only comforted her and guided her back to recovery. This both disturbed and overjoyed her. She wasn't supposed to need him like that. She wasn't supposed to be attached to him like that. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change what she felt and she couldn't change how he felt either. Just the fact that he had been there with her the whole time said how much he cared about her and showed how deeply that caring ran. Yet, there was nothing either of them could do about it. They were Jedi, bound by the Code, and they couldn't change it. They couldn't risk everything for something she didn't even know how to describe.

It was hopeless. There was nothing that could be done.


	6. Chapter 6

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Six

Her hands gripped the weapon fiercely as she blocked his blow. Her movements were swift and exact, just as they had always been. Feeling up to the challenge, she advanced on him and the exercise sped up in an instant. They moved in unison on the sweat-slicked floor until it was abruptly complete. She had bested him.

"I'm feeling much better." She said slyly and allowed him to stand.

"Yeah, I can see that." He promptly brushed himself off and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you've actually improved since you were injured."

She smiled smugly at him. "What makes you think I haven't?"

He couldn't help but return her grin and simply shook his head at her. Suddenly, a grim thought passed through his mind. She was back to her old self and that meant he had to leave her now. His fists clenched in anger and he glanced around the room for something to hit.

Padme immediately noticed the change in him. She slowly approached him and placed a hand softly on his shoulder. Once their eyes met, she was shocked by the sadness and despair in his eyes. "What's wrong, Anakin?"

He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "The Council has reassigned me. Now that you're better, I have to leave."

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she gripped his shoulder tightly. No…he couldn't leave her. Not now when she needed him the most. He had been so kind to her, helping her heal, always being there for her. He couldn't leave now…she needed him to be there.

"No…Anakin…you can't leave me! Please…there has to be some way that you can stay!"

He shook his head, desperately trying to deflect the glimmer of hope that was growing within him. Was it possible that she loved him too? Was that why she didn't want him to leave?

"Padme, I don't know what to tell you. There's nothing we can do."

She moved closer to him and he found himself reluctantly stepping away from her.

"Please, Anakin…can't you just wait a few more days?"

He looked deeply into her desperate eyes and he couldn't know how much more he could take. It was torture to not know what it felt like to hold her and it was even worse knowing that he might never know. Still…he had to know. He knew he wouldn't be able function properly until he did.

"Why…why do you want me to wait?"

She swallowed nervously and looked away, despite his best efforts to get her to look at him again. "I just don't think I'm completely healed yet…that's all."

He nodded slowly while biting his lip. She was a very good liar. "Alright. I'll wait a few days."

She exhaled with relief and before she realized what she was doing, she reached up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

He simply nodded while turning to leave, realizing that it was time to check on Sabe.

Padme watched him leave with a heavy heart and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and pressed her head into the wall, hoping that the pain in her head would overwhelm the pain in her heart. To no avail, she opened her eyes and sighed. She needed more time with him because a few days simply weren't enough. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair to either of them. But what were they supposed to do? She sighed again and slowly walked out of the room. Time to get back to real life whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Later that evening, Padme decided to find Anakin after seeing Sabe safely to her bedroom. It was time they talked. She sensed him and let her feet bring her to him. Her heart leapt when her eyes finally rested on him meditating in his room and she cautiously approached him.

"Padme, you know you can't sneak up on a Jedi."

She jumped at his words and laughed nervously. "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you."

He turned to face her with a sad expression on his face. "I spoke with Obi-Wan. The Council is expecting me back in Coruscant tomorrow morning."

Her heart sank and she nodded hopelessly. After a long silence between them, she finally spoke. "I don't know when we'll see each other again so I think now is as good a time as any to talk."

His surprised eyes caught hers and he cleared his throat nervously before speaking.

"Alright."

Padme took a shaky breath. "I know you have feelings for me, Anakin."

Anakin took a step back from her, too stunned to find the words to reply. He had always feared this moment would come and now it had. It was time for him to face her rejection.

"Padme, I don't…"

"Just listen to me. I'm sorry that you feel the way you do because there is nothing either one of us can do about it. We're bound by the Code, Anakin. We can't betray everything that we're worked for. Besides, I can't let you give up your future for me. You have so much potential…so much skill and I can't let you throw it away."

Anakin turned away from her, unable to look her in the eye. Despite all his efforts, his shoulders began to heave and he felt threatening tears forming in his eyes. Then her words flowed back to him and the realization dawned on him. She wasn't saying she didn't feel the same way. She was saying that they couldn't be together and break the Code. He turned to face her, now the look of despair had been replaced by determination and hope.

He took a step forward and his heart leapt when she didn't move away from him.

"Padme, I know you feel the same way."

She didn't speak, instead she looked frozen with an unreadable expression on her face. Anakin took that as a sign to continue and he cautiously moved closer. This time she backed away from him. Unable to stop himself, he closed the distance between them and gripped his hands firmly on her waist, bringing their bodies close enough together so that there was only a slight touch. His right hand snaked all the way around her waist and he brought his left up to caress her angelic face.

"I know you feel the same way." He repeated, his mouth so close to her face he could almost kiss her.

He heard her whimper and gripped her tighter. "You're right about the Code. You are. But I can't help what I feel and neither can you. The thing is, Padme, I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't know when I'll see you again. So…let's have this one night. Let's give in this one time and then after I leave, you don't even have to speak to me ever again if you don't want to. But just this once, Padme, I want to know what it feels like to kiss you, to touch you, to make love to you and I know you want that too."

Her breath came in shaky gasps and she trembled against him. Her hand grasped his hair tightly as he waited patiently for her to accept. Her forehead rested against his and finally, she allowed herself to look into his eyes, knowing that now there was no going back. Her eyes silently agreed and with that, the deal was made.

Their mouths crashed together in an urgent force and he led them to his bed, their mouths and bodies still intertwined. Clothes were hurriedly cast off and before either of them knew, they were lying on the bed, Anakin's body gently rested on top of hers.

He pulled his lips away from hers and looked lovingly into her eyes. "Padme, I lo…"

She immediately silenced him with a kiss and then abruptly broke away. "No... don't say it. I don't think I could take it."

He nodded sadly and in an instant, their lips once again found their rightful place, sweeping them further into oblivion and ecstasy, further into the places they had always said they would never go.


	7. Chapter 7

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Seven

Two months had passed since that night and Anakin had thought of nothing else since he had had to leave her. That morning had been the most painful, agonizing thing he had ever had to do in his life and the look in her eyes had spoke volumes of everything she was feeling, making him want to stay with her that much more. But somehow, he had managed to pull himself away from her warm embrace and retreat to the coldness of space and the coldness in his heart. The night they had shared had scarred him for life, of that he had no doubt, but he had no regrets. Even if he never felt her or kissed her again, that night was worth it.

The Council hadn't reassigned him like they had said; instead, he was forced to continue his training with Obi-Wan and his days were spent either in meditation or in the sparring room. He didn't mind it, even though he couldn't help but feel frustration towards the Council, because it gave him time to reflect back on what he and Padme had shared and it also gave him time to deal with the knowledge that those memories were all he would ever share with her.

Today would be a challenge for him because today was the day that Padme and Sabe were returning to Coruscant. A part of him was overjoyed that he would get to see her again and the other part him almost didn't want to see her because he knew it would never be enough now. Somehow, the day carried on and he found himself with the Council, waiting for Padme to report on her now completed mission.

Several moments later, the doors swung open and his angel was revealed to him. She looked more beautiful than he had remembered but now, as he reached out with the Force, she was nervous, agitated, and also a little frightened. He frowned but immediately replaced it with an expression-less mask.

"Master Naberrie, it is good to have you back."

Padme smiled almost regally and nodded her head. "Yes, thank you, Masters. It is certainly good to be back in the Temple."

As she spoke, her eyes scanned the room for a certain someone, and when she found him, her eyes sparkled with happiness.

He shot her a quick smile and immediately replaced it with his mask. However, this did not go unnoticed by Obi-Wan, who frowned at his padawan in confusion and disbelief.

During this, Padme reported on the end of the mission, which was basically eventless. It was acknowledged by the Council that Chancellor Palpatine had made it clear that there was no longer a need for Jedi protection of Senator Amidala, so the mission was officially declared complete.

After the meeting was over, Padme mingled with the other Council members and Anakin did the same, both waiting for an opportunity. It came as the last Council member departed from the room and Anakin immediately led her to secluded place in the Temple were they could talk in private. Once they had reached it, they rushed into each other's arms, marveling at the touch they had missed for so long.

His hands gripped her face and he kissed her passionately. The kiss couldn't last long and they quickly pulled away from each other.

"Anakin…" She whispered. She reached for his hand and grasped it gently. "I've missed you so much."

He nodded and bit his lip. "I know. Not a day goes by that I haven't thought of you."

She took a deep breath and reached for his other hand, squeezing them both gently. She had missed everything about him, his infectious grin, his intense eyes, his hair, his body, the way he held her and looked into her eyes. It had been more difficult to be away from him than she had thought it would be. It was torture. It ate away at her soul and she didn't know how much more of it she could take. To make matters worse, she had not just been emotionally altered by their night together, but physically too.

"Anakin, there's something you need to know."

She paused, in an attempt to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. He gazed down at her, patiently waiting, sensing that she was struggling with something.

She lowered her head and whispered: "I'm pregnant."

Anakin took a step closer to her, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Wh...What?"

She looked up at him now and after seeing the paled, shocked, terrified expression on his face, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I'm pregnant, Anakin. You're going to be a father."

He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He should've known something like that could have happened. But at the time, he didn't care. He also knew, deep down, that he still didn't care. They had made this together and he didn't regret it for a second. He took her face gently in his hands and kissed her softly.

"This is the happiest day of my life, Padme."

She looked up at him with confusion etched on her face. "How can you say that? We've ruined both our lives and our child's life!"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Padme."

"There's no other way it can be."

"You know that's not true."

She turned her head away from him and began sobbing uncontrollably. "What have we done, Anakin?"

He rubbed her shoulders soothingly and knew there was nothing he could say, at least not right now, that help. She needed time to deal with everything that had happened but he knew that he didn't need any time at all. Their baby was a blessing and he was willing to do whatever it took make them a family.

Unknown to Anakin and Padme, an angry, hurt pair of eyes had witnessed the entire exchange. A moment later, the figure was gone.

* * *

Obi-Wan ran hurried through the halls of the Jedi Temple, searching for Padme. He had checked every place he could think of but so far, his efforts were in vain. Realizing that he probably wouldn't find her in time, he resigned to finding his padawan, knowing that Anakin would most likely be in his room.

After punching in the code, the door leading to Anakin's room slid open to reveal a sleeping Padme with Anakin sitting next to her on his couch. Obi-Wan's mouth opened slightly as his gaze shifted uncertainly from Anakin's expressionless face to Padme's sleeping form.

"What's going on here, Anakin?"

Anakin sighed. "What does it look like? We were talking, she was tired, and so I let her take a nap on my couch."

"But in _here_?"

Anakin rebelliously rolled his eyes to the ceiling but before he could think of a smart reply, Padme's eyes opened tiredly. She sat up quickly when she noticed that who else was in the room.

"Master Kenobi…I was just sleeping…" She trailed off and immediately shifted her eyes away from Obi-Wan's suspiciously intense stare. Anakin, however, stared right back.

Obi-Wan didn't know what to think, especially after the news he had just received. He was starting to have suspicions about Anakin's feelings for Padme, but would never guess that Padme would actually return those feelings. She knew better than that. At least he thought she did. He pushed those thoughts away and decided to carry out the mission he had been determined to complete several minutes ago.

"Padme, I've been looking all over you. The Council has learned from an unspecified source that you are pregnant. They've summoned you to speak to them immediately and once I heard, I thought you deserved to know not only why you were being summoned but also so that you had some time to prepare what you wanted to say to them."

Padme's face was unreadable to both men in the room. One moment, she looked like she was about to shatter, the next, her eyes filled with a determined gleam. She gripped the edge of the couch and nodded slowly to Obi-Wan.

"Alright. Thank you for telling me this. I just need a few minutes…tell them I'll be there within a half an hour."

Obi-Wan nodded and began walking towards the door. When he realized Anakin wasn't following him, he turned back.

"Anakin, aren't you coming?"

Anakin stood slowly, looking uncertainly at Padme who shook her head.

"No, Anakin, please stay. I need someone to talk to. You've always been such a good friend to me."

Anakin nodded, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out. "I'm sorry, Master. But Padme's asked to stay, so I'm staying."

Obi-Wan stared into Anakin's eyes for a moment, looking for some sign of deception, some sign that his padawan had done something forbidden, but in the end, he could only curse himself for teaching Anakin how to build his mind shields so strongly. A moment later, he was gone, shaking his head in both confusion and frustration.

As the door slid shut, Anakin gathered her in his arms and held her tightly to his chest. Their fates were about to be sealed and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad about it. He kissed her forehead tenderly and gazed deeply into her eyes. He knew what he had to do. It was the only thing he could do and it was the only thing he wanted to do.

"Padme…marry me…"


	8. Chapter 8

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Eight

Padme's face lifted to look him in the eyes. Her expression crumbled under the weight of her tears and she began to tremble in his arms. He drew him closer to her and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Padme…" He whispered again. "Marry me…"

She buried her face in his tunic and began to sob uncontrollably. How could she refuse him? He was only person she truly cared about and she didn't know how she could hurt him in this way. Her heart was breaking because she knew what she had to do. It was killing her to do it, but there was nothing else that could be done.

"Anakin…I…I can't."

He froze, unable to comprehend what she had just uttered. His eyes closed briefly, making every effort possible to find some way to convince himself that she hadn't just said that. But she had…

"I…I can't…why? Padme, why can't you?"

The hurt and disappointment in his eyes was unbearable for her to take because she knew that she was the cause of it. She untangled herself from his arms and slowly walked to the other side of the room, feeling an unnerving need to distance herself from him.

"I'm sorry, Anakin. I can't let you do this just because of me. You have a destiny as the Chosen One and I can't let you throw that away."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "That's not important to me. You and our baby are the only things that matter now. All I want is for us to be together and to be a family."

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. That's not possible."

He stood up angrily and advanced on her. "Of course it is! All we have to do is leave. It's that simple. Then we can live our lives together and raise our child. We're going to be expelled from the Order anyways, Padme. I don't understand why you can't see this."

"No, I'm going to be expelled not you."

His feet rooted to the floor as her words echoed in his head. No…she couldn't…

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not going to let you be expelled. You're too important to the Jedi Order. Someday, you're going to have to fulfill your destiny and I'm not going to stand in your way."

"And how do you expect to do that?"

She looked at him for a brief moment and said simply: "I'm going to say you're not the father."

His face fell and he began to shake his head furiously. "No…I'll never allow that. You can't do that. You have no right to do that. Besides, Padme, I want to be there and I can't let you put all the responsibility on yourself because I have a part in this too."

"I don't care, Anakin. If you say that you are the father, I'm just going to say that you're lying to protect me. The Council isn't going to know who to believe and since you're the Chosen One, I think they'd rather expel me than both of us."

"Don't throw that in my face! I don't care about being the Chosen One, I never have. I don't want that destiny and I don't want that life. I want to be with you, Padme. Why can't you understand that?"

"Why can't you understand that this is what I want? I can't let you throw everything away. If I wasn't pregnant, you wouldn't be saying that you wanted to be with me, you would be perfectly content to just carry on like we did on Naboo."

Anakin's fists clenched in anger and he had to restrain himself from putting one of them through the wall. "First of all, don't make it sound like you don't want the baby. I know you do, no matter what you say. Secondly, what makes you think that I haven't wanted to be with you from the moment I first saw you? What makes you think that I still wouldn't give everything up to be with you…baby or no baby? I lo…"

She hurriedly placed her hand over his mouth to stop him. "No, please don't say it."

He sighed and felt the anger slip away to be replaced only with sadness. Her hand moved away from him mouth and he quickly caught it with his own hand and kissed it lightly.

"I just don't understand why you don't want this. Why won't you just let yourself be happy? Why won't you let me know our child and let our child know its father? We could be so happy together, Padme…just you, me, and our baby…we can leave Coruscant right now and never look back. I know I've dreamed of becoming a great Jedi for as long as I can remember, but Padme, I have a new dream now. Don't you know that I would do anything for you, give anything to make you happy?"

Her lips trembled as she desperately tried to keep a calm composure. She anxiously sat down on a nearby chair and stroked her abdomen lightly, his words starting to get to her. It would be so easy to do exactly what he said, just leave, never look back, and live their lives together. She knew he was right about their child; it deserved to know its father and she would be taking so much away from them both, but she didn't know what else to do. Anakin's proposal was so tempting and looking at him now, he seemed so desperate to do anything to keep her with him. But she knew she couldn't do that. She would be robbing both Anakin and the rest of the galaxy if she did. Anakin had a place in a galaxy and a destiny to fulfill. She couldn't take that away from him, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Anakin, the only thing you can do that will make me happy is to let me do this on my own."

He sighed and stared at the ceiling for several moments. How did this happen? How did he let things get this far? He couldn't control what he felt for her, but he also knew that he couldn't control her either. He turned his gaze to her face and immediately noticed her determined stare. She wasn't giving in. Maybe she never would.

"All I want is for us to be together, Padme. But if that isn't what you want…I can't force you. I don't like this and I don't know if I can stand by and not admit that I'm the father. I want to be by your side through all of this and I don't want you to be alone and I don't want our child to never know its father. But something tells me that I'm not going to talk you out of this and if I try to stop you, you'll just find a way to do it anyways. So I'll stand by and do what you ask because I know there's nothing else I can do."

She nodded gratefully and quickly pulled him into her embrace. "Thank you. We're going the right thing, you know."

He didn't respond, his entire focus resting on holding her in his arms with the knowledge that this may well be the last time and their last moment alone together. Once she released him, he started towards the door.

"It'll probably look bad if we arrive at the Council together, so I'm going to go find Obi-Wan. Take your time…I'm sure you have a lot to thing about."

She nodded, desperately fighting the tears that threatened to fall. She sat back down and starting to become immersed in her thoughts when Anakin's soft voice interrupted her:

"Do you regret it?"

She stared back at him for a few moments before answering. "Regret what?"

He smiled softly and replied simply: "Us."

She smiled back and walked over to him carefully, taking his face in her hands. "No, I don't regret it for a second. Even though we can't be together, I'll always have a part of you with me and that's going to have to be enough."

A lone tear fell down his cheek and she brushed it away gently. He took her hand in his and kissed it softly then he was gone. Now, she was really alone.


	9. Chapter 9

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Nine

"Master Naberrie, thank you for coming here today. However, the Council's reasoning for asking you here is not happy matter. We've received information from a source that you are pregnant. Do you admit to this?"

Padme faltered for only a moment, feeling the reality of her situation begin to sink in.

"Yes, Master Windu, I am pregnant."

A murmur escaped through the rest of the Council members and she tried desperately not to let her eyes search for Anakin. Despite her efforts, she found him sitting beside Obi-Wan, his eyes focused on her intensely.

"Master Naberrie, who is the father of your child?"

Padme's chin lifted slightly and she responded bravely. "I will not tell you his name but I can tell you that he is not a Jedi."

Another murmur echoed throughout the room as Anakin helplessly watched this tragedy play out in front of his eyes. He gripped the ends of his chair tightly, desperately keeping his emotions at bay so that the other Jedi wouldn't notice his distress. Obi-Wan's focus, however, was not centered on the current dilemma the Council faced, but on his padawan's pale face and through their bond, he could feel Anakin's worry and anguish. His gaze shifted back to Master Windu as the proceedings continued.

"Master Naberrie, do you love the father of your child?"

Padme closed her eyes for a brief moment to keep her concentration on the Council members and not on Anakin or the fact that she was about to reveal something she had never really even admitted to herself.

"Yes, I love him."

Master Windu nodded knowingly and wasted no time to speak again. "Then I have no choice but to motion for you to be expelled from the Order on grounds of breaking the Code."

Silence erupted through the room and Anakin could do nothing but watch. He had known this would happen, but now that it was, it was unbearable and the worst experience he had ever had in his life. The love of his life and the mother of his child was about to undergo unimaginable scrutiny and personal pain and there was nothing he could do. She had made sure of that.

His eyes remained transfixed on her defiant form and he could only admire her strength; strength he knew he would never be able to muster in this situation. Her eyes focused intensely on the members of the Council as she awaited the sentence she knew was coming. He noticed with a heavy heart that her right hand rested lightly on her stomach as if to protect their child from any possible harm. He wanted to cry out in anguish at the sight of it because he couldn't be there to protect their child as well, no matter how much he wanted to.

Anakin's attention snapped to Master Windu, who was now standing to give Padme the Council's verdict. He swallowed, knowing that the inevitable had now occurred.

"Master Naberrie," Master Windu began. "The Council has accepted my motion to expel you from the Jedi Order. You've broken the Code and this is the only punishment that you can receive. I know I speak for the Council when I say that it would be in not only the Order's best interest, but yours and your child's as well if you leave Coruscant as soon as possible. Will you please hand over your light saber?"

Padme nodded, obliged Mace's request then immediately left the room, not daring to the meet the eyes of anyone in the room, especially not Anakin's. She hastily walked to her room and when she reached some form of safety from the curious eyes surrounding her, she leaned back against the door, then within an instant, moved into her bedroom to begin packing all her belongings.

* * *

Anakin turned to leave and just as he noticed that Obi-Wan was still rooted in his chair, he heard his name called by Master Windu.

"Yes, Master?"

"Anakin, you've known Master Naberrie for some time now. Do you have any reason to believe that she was not being truthful in her testimony? Do you have any reason to believe that the father of her child is, in fact, a Jedi?"

Anakin swallowed hard, unprepared for this. He carefully glanced to his left and caught himself from biting his lip in frustration when he saw Obi-Wan still sitting in his chair, watching him intensely.

He hesitated to answer for a moment because part of him wanted to say yes, the father is a Jedi. He wanted to tell everyone that he was about to have a child with the love of his life, that he had never been happier, and that he hated the fact that the Order couldn't let them be. Instead, with great effort, he shook his head.

"No, Master, I have no reason to suspect that she is lying about that."

Mace nodded, then continued. "Good. There is something else that the Council would like to speak to you about. We have all noticed your ability as well as your potential. With this last mission, you have proved yourself to be controlled, patient, and the responsible Jedi your Master knew you would become. Therefore, on behalf of the Jedi Council, I hereby grant you the rank of Jedi Knight."

Anakin nodded, turmoil coursing through his veins. This wasn't right. It just wasn't right. He knew he didn't deserve this and now he didn't even want it. He left the room, not wanting to answer any more questions about Padme and allowed his feet to carry him to the only place he wanted to go.

* * *

Padme hurriedly opened the door and she couldn't hide her surprise to her visitor.

"Anakin! You shouldn't be here…you need to leave now, please…"

Anakin ignored her and quickly sidestepped her to enter the room. He surveyed the work she had done in the room and sighed deeply.

With his back still turned to her, whispered softly: "You don't have to do this, Padme. We can leave now, I'll even stow away on your ship if you want me to so no one will know right away. We can be together. We can, Padme. You just have to let it happen."

Padme shook her head sharply, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "No…I'm sorry, Anakin, but we've already talked about this. I've made up my mind about this, Anakin. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but this is the only way it can be."

He nodded sadly, having known that he would once again be rejected by her but he hadn't been able to stop himself from offering the life he dreamed about one last time.

"What will you do now?"

She smiled softly and walked past him so she could continue packing. "I've spoken with my parents and they agreed to let me live with them on Naboo. That's really where I should be now anyways. My father has a repair shop and he's agreed to give me an accountant position. I'll be fine, Anakin."

"I know," He smiled faintly before continuing. "You got what you wanted, Padme."

She stared at, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The Council just Knighted me."

Her face broke into a wide grin and she had to stop herself from running into his arms. "Anakin…that's wonderful news. I can't believe this..."

Anakin bit his lip and tried desperately to hide his anguish at her excitement over his news. He didn't want it, he didn't need it, the only thing he needed was her and their child.

"Yes, I know."

He looked away from her, but she still noticed the pain in his eyes. She nodded slowly, then continued packing.

"Anakin, you should probably leave now."

He nodded and before he turned to leave, he moved closer to her and whispered: "If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to contact me."

Padme looked away quickly to hide her tears from him and nodded.

He knew that no amount of words would ever be enough for him, so he took that as their final goodbye and exited the room.

Padme watched him leave, her lips quivering with sadness and heartache. She allowed herself to cry for only a minute, then she resumed herself to her preparations to leave for Naboo.


	10. Chapter 10

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Ten

Padme leaned back in her chair, grateful for some silence after the day she had just had. Her now sleeping angels had behaved far from angelic and had all but destroyed their entire house. They were talking now, Luke first, then Leia followed suit quickly after and, much to her tired dismay, walking had begun shortly after that. No matter how much help she had between her parents and Sola, she was never able to completely keep up with their constant motoring or their endless energy.

She sighed as her finger trailed a framed holo of her babies. Luke looked so much like his father, but had somehow it was Leia that inherited much of Anakin's personality traits and much to Padme's surprise, Luke acted more like she did when she was a child. However, this did nothing to ease the pain she felt every time she looked at Luke. He would be handsome, like his father, but unfortunately, he could never be a Jedi like his father or even know him for that matter. And Leia…she would never learn the Jedi way of controlling the temper or the impulsiveness she was destined to inherit from her father. Yes, she did feel regret at her decision almost one year ago, but she knew it had been the right one.

She rose from her chair and moved closer to the window. It still struck her how different Naboo looked compared to Coruscant. Naboo had busy, bustling streets as on Coruscant but the scenery and atmosphere where beyond comparison to any other planet she had seen. Her thoughts drifted to the time she had spent on Coruscant and she thought it ironic that she only had time to think of that busy planet whenever she had some quiet time to herself. There were so many memories to ponder but the only ones that were ever prominent were those she had spent with Anakin. Those precious memories were few, but they were all she had left of him. Occasionally, she would see his image on the holonet but always had to quickly turn it off. It was just too painful to have to see that.

Suddenly, she was jerked from her memories as her Jedi instincts kicked into full gear. Something was wrong…and she could feel a presence she hadn't felt in a long time…her babies…they were in danger…

Her feet flew her to Luke and Leia's room and when she opened the door, her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as they collided with Sabe's cold stare and she quickly looked away to search for her children. She cried out in horror when she realized that their cribs were empty.

Sabe's laughter floated across the room and Padme could only stare in shock as Sabe spoke.

"Did you really think I'd let you keep them, Padme?"

Padme's lips couldn't form the words she wanted to say as her eyes continued to shift from her children's cribs in disbelief.

"They're gone," Sabe continued. "They're mine now. They should've always been mine."

At those words, Padme snapped back to reality and began to shake her head furiously.

"No…Luke and Leia are my children. You can't take them from me."

Sabe smirked and gestured toward the window. "I already have, my dear friend."

Padme immediately ran to the window. A small transport came into view and she knew that her children were on it. She cried out again and turned to run out the door to get to them but found that Sabe was already blocking her path with a blaster pointed dangerously in Padme's direction.

"You'll never see them again, Padme."

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she could feel her body begin to tremble.

"But…why? Why are you doing this? I've never done anything to you…"

Sabe laughed menacingly and pointed a finger in Padme's direction. "You've never done anything to me? That's a lie and you know it. You've gotten everything you ever wanted…become a Jedi, Anakin…you took him away from me, you've taken the life I was supposed to have! Hell, you probably would have even taken my political career away from me if I hadn't stopped you."

Padme's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? You never wanted to be a Jedi, you've always said you didn't want children…and your political career? How could I have taken that away from you? I was a Jedi…" She trailed off as her mind began to function again and soon, the pieces began to come together.

"Are you getting it now, Padme? You would've continued in politics if I hadn't arranged to have you shipped to Coruscant. I can't believe you never figured that out. And as for the Jedi…you're right, I never wanted that. I was glad you became a Jedi so that I could be Queen. But Anakin…I loved him, Padme. I met him several years before the assassination attempts started and I loved him instantly. Everything I've ever done since then was to be near him, that's why I requested that the Council send him to protect me, but then they had to send you along too. You've ruined everything for me."

Padme continued to shake her head, unable to believe that Sabe could ever be so vindictive. As Sabe's words echoed in her mind, the realization dawned on her.

"It was you, wasn't it? You told the Council I was pregnant?"

Sabe smiled softly and nodded. "Yes. Took you long enough. After the little conversation we had about Anakin being expelled from the Order for love, it gave me a brilliant idea. I thought if Anakin was expelled, he would be free to love me. I didn't care that he got you pregnant, if it meant he could be with me. But I wasn't counting on your irrepressible nobility. But at least I got some consolation: separating you and Anakin forever."

Padme could only stare in shock at woman she had once thought was her friend as Sabe continued.

"After you were gone, I told Anakin how I felt about him and that we could finally be together. But you know what he did? He told me he didn't love me and that he could never be with me. After everything I did for him, he didn't love me!" She sobbed and ran her hands through her hair. "I couldn't believe he would do that to me. And the look on his face, he almost looked…disgusted with me…he pushed me away and told me to leave him alone."

Padme's face hardened at this new revelation. At least she and Anakin had managed to have some victory over Sabe. With newfound strength, she delivered her blow.

"Anakin could never love someone like you."

Sabe's lips quivered in fury and she quickly slapped Padme across the face. She stepped back and began straightening her now disheveled clothes. "Maybe you're right, Padme. But that doesn't change the fact that it's because of you that he could never love me. You've taken everything I dreamed about from me. I want you to know what that feels like."

Silence erupted between them for a moment, then Sabe opened the door to leave. Before she did, she turned one last time towards her enemy. "You can never have Anakin and now you'll never see your children again. How does it feel, Padme?"

With that, the door slammed behind her, forever shattering life as Padme knew it. It took Padme only a moment before she was out the door, chasing Sabe all the way to her transport. But she was too late. Her babies were gone. She cried out in horror as she watched the transport leave sight and fell to the ground, her body convulsing in torturous sobs.

Her eyes raised to the sky as she silently vowed that she would get them back and then she would have her vengeance for everything Sabe had done to her and her family.

She ran back to the house, quickly throwing some things in a bag and sprinted back outside to her own transport. While she started the ship, she briefly contemplated going after Sabe herself but she quickly realized that she would never get her babies back by herself. She needed help and there was only one planet in the galaxy where she could find that help. She immediately set the controls and took off for Coruscant.


	11. Chapter 11

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Eleven

Padme ran through the halls of the Temple, not caring that she was being chased by several Jedi along the way and stopped short at the doors of the Council. She almost burst right through the doors to demand assistance but logic told almost immediately that that would not be the way to get her children back. She turned back to the now breathless Jedi.

"I need to speak to the Council, please." She stated, surprised by her own calmness.

The Jedi hesitantly blinked back at her, confusion written on their features. Finally, one of them entered the Council meeting room, only to exit several moments later.

Padme waited impatiently for the Jedi to nod, and when he did, she waited for no other response and prompted pushed the doors open, revealing a very apprehensive Council.

She allowed her eyes to wander the members of the room for only a moment for fear of whom she might see. She caught a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye, but quickly moved her gaze to the other curious faces in the Council.

Before any member of the Council could either welcome or chastise her, Padme quickly began.

"I'm sorry for barging in here like this. I know that in any normal circumstances you would never hear the plea of someone like me, but I beg you to listen to what I have to say."

She paused for only a moment as her eyes drifted to Anakin's pale face. For a fleeting moment, it felt so good just to see him again. She immediately noticed the scar on his face and a flash of concern for him flooded over her. But she pushed that away and focused on the reason she was there.

Anakin, however, didn't know what he felt as his starved eyes beheld her for the first time since she had left the Temple, seemingly forever. But now she was back…and the only emotion that stuck out above the over hundred was fear. The only reason she had come back was because something had happened…and she was alone, which could only mean…

A cold hand took hold of his heart as he gripped his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned a sickly white. The only thing he could do now was wait for her to explain whatever it was she had to say. He swallowed nervously and gripped the arms of his chair a little tighter when he heard Padme begin to speak again.

"Something horrible has happened…my children…they've been kidnapped."

A loud murmur rang through the room as Anakin nearly fell out of his chair in shock. Kidnapped? _Children_? He quickly covered his mouth to hide his reaction but when his trembling hand threatened to make the situation even worse for him, he shakily straightened his tunic. His eyes helplessly bored into Padme's and his fear only heightened when she refused to meet his gaze.

"Miss Naberrie, I'm truly sorry for your current situation." Mace replied sincerely.

Padme nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Master Windu. I came here today because I need your help in getting them back. I know I won't be able to do it on my own, especially since I haven't had any training or experience in this in almost two years. I truly believe that if I don't receive your help, I will never see my children again."

Mace rubbed his chin thoughtfully and cast a gaze towards Yoda before replying.

"You've been expelled from the Order. By every law in the Jedi Code, we cannot give you assistance, more matter how dire the circumstances."

Padme shook her head furiously, tears threatening to form in her eyes. "Please…you don't understand. They're the only good I have left in my life. They're my reason for living…my reason waking up every morning. Yes, I broke the Code. But that doesn't erase the years of my life that I dedicated to the Order. I served willingly and faithfully since I was a child. I beg you, please, do this for me as former peers…former friends even…I know that while the Order is forbidden to love, it is not forbidden to show compassion or sympathy. Please, if not for me, then for my children, who are innocent in all of this and don't deserve to be punished for my actions."

Silence took hold of the room as all eyes remained focused on Padme, each member deep in thought about the course of action they should take. Finally, Mace Windu spoke.

"Miss Naberrie, could you please step outside so the Council can discuss this matter?"

Padme nodded and quickly obliged so she could begin looking for her children as soon as possible.

Once Padme had left the room, the members of the Council looked at each other apprehensively. Several moments of uneasiness passed before one voice spoke up.

"Help her, we must. Expelled, she was. But kidnapped, two children were."

Several other Council members nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Yoda. The Jedi Order was established to protect those that cannot protect themselves. We would be contradicting everything the Order stands for if we don't help her find her children." Obi-Wan responded, his eyes moving to meet Anakin's gaze and noted how the worry seemed to fade from Anakin's eyes.

An echo of agreement floated through the room and it was settled then.

"Now, who should we send?"

"I'll go." Anakin replied quickly, attempting not to look as eager as he was to help Padme.

Mace eyes him carefully for a few moments before quickly shaking his head.

"No…Master Kenobi will go."

Anakin's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist in a desperate attempt to keep his emotions at bay as well as hidden from the Council. But that didn't stop Obi-Wan from noticing his former apprentice's reaction and he winced quickly before nodding his acceptance of the assignment.

"I will tell Padme the news and begin preparations."

The rest of the Council members nodded their heads in agreement as Obi-Wan left the room, but not before casting a weary glance in Anakin's direction.

* * *

Obi-Wan opened the door and couldn't help but smirk at Padme's pacing form.

"Padme?"

Padme froze and turned to stare at Obi-Wan, impatiently waiting to hear what he had to say.

"The Council has agreed and they're sending me to help you."

She covered her mouth with her hand and quickly rushed into Obi-Wan's arms.

"Thank you, thank you so much…I didn't they would actually help me...I should go thank them…"

She started opening the door but Obi-Wan stopped her. "Padme, I'm sure the Council knows you're grateful. But now, we need to concentrate on finding your children."

Padme sighed and nodded. "You're right. It's probably best if we take my ship. That way, she won't know the Jedi are helping me."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and they began walking briskly towards Padme's ship when Obi-Wan abruptly stopped.

"Wait…she? Padme, you know who took them, don't you?"

"Yes, but that can wait until later."

"Alright…by the way, the Council also instructed me to give you this."

He reached into his cloak at retrieved a light saber. "I know it isn't yours, but the Council has granted you leave to use this until your children are found."

Padme hesitantly took the weapon in her shaky hands and couldn't believe how good it felt to hold a light saber in her hands. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. Not just for this…but for everything."

Obi-Wan nodded and soon, they were in Padme's ship, making sure that they had everything they needed, especially weapons. Neither, however, noticed the cloaked figure board their ship.

* * *

Once they were in space, Padme sat back in her chair and sighed with relief. When she came to the Temple, she had truly believed that they would laugh in her face and send her away. But by some miracle, they had agreed to help her find her children again. And now they were on their way to get them back. Her thoughts drifted to Anakin's shocked and pale face…she couldn't imagine how he was feeling right now. He had just found out that not only did he have two children, but they had been kidnapped as well. She was sure that seeing her again didn't make things any easier for him.

"Padme?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and stared back at Obi-Wan. "Yes?"

"Would you like to tell me now why you set course for Alderaan?"

She sighed and nodded. "Sabe…Senator Amidala kidnapped my children."

Obi-Wan leaned forward in his chair, confusion and concern etched on his face.

"What? Why would she do that?"

"It's a long story…she's always been very jealous of me and most importantly, she…she thinks Anakin is the father of my children…he's not…but…" She trailed off as she stared at the cloaked figure as it stepped closer to them through the darkness. She continued to stare in shock as the figure drew down its hood…revealing Anakin.

"Anakin." She whispered.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed, not at all surprised by this new development.

"Padme," He whispered as he stepped closer. "You know that's a lie…"


	12. Chapter 12

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Twelve

Padme's eyes widened in shock as she continued to stare back at Anakin's frighteningly calm expression. What did he think he was doing? They had agreed not to tell anyone their secret…but her stunned eyes shifted to Obi-Wan's gaze and it was painfully obvious. Somehow, he had already known. She sighed and nodded wearily toward Anakin.

"You're right, Anakin."

Their eyes locked again for several moments and Anakin nodded in recognition. Not only was this a story Padme needed to tell, but he also needed to hear from her what had happened to their children and who had taken them.

He gave her a reassuring smile and stepped a little closer to her as she began to speak.

"Anakin is the father of my children, Obi-Wan, even though, I think you already knew that."

Obi-Wan managed a quick grin before nodded somberly. "I had always suspected as much. Anakin has never been able to hide his true feelings from me. The bond of padawan and master is nearly impossible to sever, even when the padawan becomes a master. Besides, I would have been an idiot not to notice the way you two looked at each other."

A brief moment of silence passed between the three and then the children were remembered.

"Padme, what happened to them? Who took them?" Anakin asked worriedly as he moved even closer and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

The memory of that horrible night came flooding back to her and she covered her face with her hands. "Anakin…it was Sabe. She took them."

Obi-Wan leaned forward. "You're absolutely sure of this?"

Padme nodded hurriedly. "Yes. I saw her in the twins' room. I had a terrible feeling that something was wrong and I ran to their room and…there she was…smiling at me…she's always been jealous of me, everything she's done has been out of jealousy and spite. She told me she had been in love with Anakin for a few years before we were sent to protect her. I knew she was in love with you, Anakin…so I told her to leave you alone or you would be expelled from the Order. When she heard me telling you I was pregnant, she saw that as her opportunity to get you expelled so she could be with you."

Obi-Wan sat back down in his chair and ran a hand wearily through his hair. "But she wasn't counting on the fact that you would take the responsibility."

Padme nodded sadly and her gaze flew to Anakin's as he covered his mouth in remorse.

"Padme….I…I spoke to her about a month ago…I told her I could never be with her…"

"I know, Anakin…"

"No…this is all my fault. If only I had known everything she had done, I never would have spoken to her the way I did…why couldn't I sense it in her…why couldn't I see how evil she is?"

Padme quickly closed the distance between them and embraced him tightly. "You couldn't have known. I didn't even know she was capable of all this until the night she took our babies. No one sensed it…if anyone could have, it should have been me. I've known her all my life…but I didn't sense her horrible intentions underneath her actions. Do you know why she helped get to Coruscant and to the Jedi? Because I was her biggest rival to be the next queen. She did it to get rid of me, not to help me. I can't believe that she did all of this because of me…because she hates me."

Anakin shook his head and drew her closer to him. " No…I see now that there was nothing either of us could have done to stop her. You couldn't help the fact that I loved you and not her. I couldn't help that either. I still can't."

Padme's eyes widened and leaned closer to him. He had never said anything like that before. She had always known what she had never allowed him to say…but he just had and her heart soared at the sound of it. She closed her eyes and felt nothing but their love and the safety only he could give her. As he held her in his strong arms, she was more assured now than ever that they would find their children. She knew Anakin wouldn't rest until their children were back safely in her arms.

Her eyes flew open as Obi-Wan awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to figure out a plan of action and you still haven't answered my question, Padme. Why are we heading to Alderaan?"

"Sabe has a family retreat there. There aren't many people who know about it, but my mother and Sabe's mother were good friends at one point, and she shared that knowledge with me. I don't think Sabe is aware that I know of her 'secret' retreat. And if she's thinks she's going to raise the children anywhere, it's going to be there, hidden, where she believes no one can find them."

Obi-Wan nodded and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I realize this may not be the best time to bring this up, but, I think you both need to consider carefully what you're going to do once we've found the children."

Anakin's eyes narrowed towards Obi-Wan. "You're going to tell the Council everything, aren't you?"

"No…no, Anakin. That's not what I meant. What I was trying to say is that…you have a decision to make Anakin."

Recognition appeared in Anakin's eyes and he nodded in understanding. Obi-Wan noticed this immediately and nodded back with a stern, yet sympathetic expression.

"We won't arrive at Alderaan for a few more hours. I suggest you two take this time to decide what you're going to do because once the children are found, you'll have run out of time."

After a few moments of silence, Obi-Wan took his leave and gave Anakin and Padme some time alone.

Anakin watched Obi-Wan leave, his thoughts drifting from the decision he would have to make to fear for the children he had never met. His attention focused on Padme again when he heard a sob escape her lips. He immediately gathered her in his embrace and held her tightly, marveling at the feeling of holding her in his arms again and remembering the time when the only thing he wanted to do was hold her close. But he had greater desires now…the desire to find his children, the desire to have Padme with him, and the desire to have the family he hadn't been allowed to have.

"Padme…he's right. We have to decide what we want to do."

She looked at him hesitantly and slowly, hopelessness began to creep into her eyes.

"There's nothing to decide. The Council doesn't need to know the specific reasons Sabe kidnapped our children and I really don't believe Obi-Wan will tell them either. If you come forward now, then everything that we've worked for will have been for nothing. If you're expelled now, then what was the point of us being apart these last few years?"

Anakin sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Padme…I don't want to argue with you. But why can't we be together? For once in our lives, why can't we be happy? We've been given a second chance, Padme. Why don't you want to take it?"

She hesitated to answer him and she refused to meet his gaze. How was she supposed to answer that? She knew it was her own pride and relentless conviction that was keeping her from the one thing that would truly make her happy in life. But that couldn't happen…just like it couldn't happen two years before.

"Anakin…"

"Is it because you don't love me anymore? Is that it, Padme?"

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she stepped closer to him. "No, no, Anakin. It's not like that at all. It's just that…I don't know. It's still not right for us to be together. It never was. You know that Anakin."

He shook his head. "No…you're wrong, Padme. It's always been right. I know that because I feel it running through me just as strongly as I feel the Force. When I hold you, when I touch you, when I kiss you…it's right…it's the only thing in my life that makes sense…it's the only thing in my life that's real."

"Don't say that, Anakin. You have a good life. You're respected and powerful. You're a Jedi Knight, Anakin. It's what you've always wanted and you've got that."

He took her hand and closed the distance between them. "You're my life, Padme. You and our children are my life. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that that's all I want?"

Before Padme had a chance to reply, Obi-Wan knocked softly on the door before entering.

"I'm sorry to interrupt…but we're approaching Alderaan."

Anakin nodded softly and moved away from Padme to take the controls. Obi-Wan took the co-pilot's seat, leaving Padme to nervously contemplate the rescue that was about to take place and although she tried not to focus on the conversation she had just had, Anakin's voice kept running through her head.


	13. Chapter 13

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Thirteen

Before long, the determined trio made their way into Sabe's hideout. It had been easy for them to get there and even easier to find, which was not a good sign. Sabe was up to something, of that they were sure, but the question was how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted.

Padme pushed that thought deep into the back of her mind. The last thing she needed to think about was her children's possible fates. She desperately tried to convince herself that since Sabe only thought of Luke and Leia as Anakin's children, she wouldn't dare harm them. But Sabe was insane and there was no telling what she would do to get Anakin.

She glanced quickly at Anakin, who instinctively caught her gaze and smiled reassuringly. She weakly smiled back and they urged on with Obi-Wan following closely behind them. They searched each room one by one yet found no trace of Luke and Leia.

As they entered the last room of the retreat, Anakin felt his heart sank at the sight. Empty. Unable to stop himself, he flipped over a nearby chair in frustration. His chest heaved breathlessly and somehow his eyes found Padme's. She looked so frightened and seeing her like that made him feel more helpless than he had ever felt in his entire life. She was hurting, his children were missing, and it felt like there was nothing he could do. Years of Jedi training had never taught him what to do in this situation.

He heard Padme gasp and turned quickly to her as she grasped his arm tightly.

"I feel them, Anakin. They're here somewhere. They're so close…"

With that, the trio was on the move, overturning every object in the room in search of some clue. Before long, it was obvious that they weren't going to find anything. Padme's heart began to race when she felt it again. It led her to the closet that Obi-Wan had already searched through, but this time, she dug a little deeper and found an opening on the side of the closet. Anakin and Obi-Wan watched in shock as Padme gently pushed it open, revealing a winding staircase. Without hesitation, all three immediately descended down the staircase.

Whatever they had entered, it was dark and dungeon-like. The walls were made of cracked stone and the entire place had a musty, stale smell. There were only a few candles attached to the wall to light their way and there was only one way they could go. The path was a long and winding one and soon, they began to think that maybe they were headed in the wrong direction.

Just as their hope was almost gone, a creaking sound floated through the air. Anakin motioned for them to stop and all three reached out with the Force. Anakin's eyes shot open at what he felt and he quickly nodded to Padme and Obi-Wan, who had also felt it.

They were running now, each step taking them closer to what they were looking for. Without warning, they stopped in front of a wooden door as the creaking sound grew louder and louder. Anakin inhaled deeply and pushed open the door only to reveal Sabe, who was sitting on a rocking chair with one of his children in her arms.

Sabe smiled softly and raised her hand gently towards Anakin. "Oh Anakin, I knew you would come. I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from me for long."

Anakin shook his head and took a step closer. As Sabe came more into view, he could only stare in shock at the image. She was wearing a delicate white wedding gown but it was the crazed look in her eye that scared him the most. It even seemed like she didn't even notice that Padme and Obi-Wan were also in the room. His eyes searched the room for his other child and he sighed deeply when his eyes found his child.

He took another step closer to her. "Sabe, you have to give them back. They're not yours."

Sabe's face twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about? Ben and Brema are our children, Anakin. How can you say that to me?"

Anakin closed his eyes briefly and moved even closer to her. "No, Sabe. Their names are Luke and Leia. Padme and I are their parents. You have no right to them and you never will."

Sabe started shaking violently and tears streamed down her face. "Why are you saying this, Anakin? I love you! I want to be with you and our children! Why can't you let us be happy together? We could be so happy…you and me and our babies…"

Anakin shook his head quickly. "No, Sabe. You give my child to me right now."

Sabe shook her head furiously and clutched the baby tighter, causing him to cry out.

Seizing the opportunity, Padme hurried to the nearby crib and gathered Leia tightly in her arms. Seeing the movement in the corner of her eye, Sabe's gaze snapped to Padme and her eyes narrowed icily.

"You." Sabe sneered. "You've tried to take everything from me but I beat you. _I_ took everything from _you_. Isn't that ironic? Now you have nothing."

Padme froze for a moment, hesitation creeping up inside her for only a moment. She swallowed and pushed the feeling of immense fear back down. She was sick of being kept down, of always being the scared, cautious one. Sabe thought she had beaten her. But she wasn't through fighting yet.

Padme ignored Sabe's comment, walked back to Obi-Wan and placed Leia carefully in his arms. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before taking her place beside Anakin.

"What? You don't have anything to say, Padme?"

"Shut up." Padme snapped.

Sabe paled and glanced nervously at Anakin who stared calmly back at her. Padme stepped closer to Sabe and revealed her light saber.

"Give Luke to Anakin right now."

Sabe laughed haughtily and shook her head. "Why should I listen to a word you say?"

Padme smiled smugly and ignited her light saber, placing her blade dangerously closer to Sabe's neck.

Sabe swallowed and her face tightened in obvious fear. After a few moments, Sabe nodded and surrendered Luke to Anakin's arms. Anakin stepped back softly, his eyes undecidedly moving from the scene before him to the child in his arms.

"What are you going to do now?" Sabe asked shakily.

"I'd like to kill you actually." Padme replied coolly, her eyes never leaving Sabe's.

"Padme…that isn't the way. We need to take her back to Coruscant so she can be tried." Anakin intervened.

"I'm sorry, Anakin. This has always been about Sabe and me. You and our children were just a pawn in her game. But the game's over, Sabe. I won."

Sabe hesitated for only a moment before defiance triumphantly returned to her eyes.

"You're not going to kill me. You don't have the guts."

Padme's eyebrows raised and she cocked her head confidently to the side as she stepped closer to Sabe, bringing her deadly blade even closer to Sabe's neck.

"Oh I don't? Well, Sabe, I've dealt with more from you than anyone should have to deal with in an entire lifetime. Your whole life has been dedicated to destroying mine. I walked into all your traps because I thought that we had actually been friends at one point. But we were never really friends, were we? I was just a hurdle you had to get over again and again to getting what you wanted whether it was the throne or Anakin. Kidnapping my children was the last straw. You deserve to be pay for everything you've done to Anakin, our children, and to me. You're pathetic and you're sick."

"You won't kill me. You're a Jedi."

Padme's eyes narrowed and she leaned in closer to whisper in Sabe's ear: "Not anymore."

With those condemning words, Padme flicked her wrist and Sabe's head tumbled to the ground.

Anakin sighed deeply and laid his hand on Padme's shoulder. "It's over now, Padme. Let's go."

Padme deactivated her light saber and turned to Anakin with tears in her eyes. She smiled up at him and rested her head gently on his shoulder. After years of pain, it was finally over. She didn't have anything to be afraid of anymore, not Sabe, not giving into her feelings, not Anakin, not anything. For once, she had hope that her life was finally going to be what it always should have been.

She smiled back at Anakin again before Obi-Wan placed Leia carefully in her arms and led them back to their ship.


	14. Chapter 14

THE DEPARTED

Chapter Fourteen

Padme rocked Leia gently in her arms in a futile attempt to lure the little girl to sleep. She sighed and looked over to Luke, who was sleeping soundly, but Leia was fighting to stay awake. After everything that had happened that day, all she wanted was to rest and she desperately needed Leia to do the same.

Her gaze shifted to the door as Anakin opened it hesitantly.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded gratefully and he pushed the door open so he could enter the room. His eager eyes found his sleeping children and for the first time since they had been reunited, he was able to really look at them. He cautiously stepped closer to Padme and laid a calming hand on a stubborn Leia.

His eyes silently pleaded with Padme then sparked with joy as she gently shifted Leia into his waiting arms. It was awkward at first; he had never held a baby before in his life, but after a few moments, it seemed like the most natural thing he had ever done. Leia watched him curiously as he rocked her gently in his arms. Within a few moments, she was sleeping soundly in her father's arms.

Anakin moved carefully laid her next to her snoring brother. Anakin smiled softly and placed a tender kiss on each of their foreheads.

Padme moved next to him and he couldn't stop himself from placing his arm gently around her waist.

"They're so beautiful." He whispered.

She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. She sighed softly, wondering what Anakin was going to decide. Part of her wished that he would do what he had always said he would: leave the Order and be with her and their children. But then again, everything they had worked for would be gone and she couldn't fault him for wanting to continue to pursue his dreams. She knew now that whatever he decided it had to be his decision and his decision alone. It was time he knew that.

"Anakin…can we talk? There's something I have to tell you."

He eyed her cautiously before nodding and followed her to the cockpit where Obi-Wan was relaxing.

"Do you mind if we take over for a little while, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan lifted his feet from the chair opposite him and graciously left the room without a word.

Padme looked around the room for a few moments to try to gather her thoughts. There was so much that needed to be said and she didn't have much time to say it. She took a deep breath and went for it.

"I just wanted to tell you, Anakin, that I'm sorry for everything I've put us through these last few years."

Anakin started to reply but she stopped him with the pleading look in her eyes. He recognized that whatever she had to say, she absolutely had to get it out.

"I've loved you for a long time, Anakin, longer that I'd probably care to admit, but that doesn't change the fact that I pushed you away for far too long. I denied you the right to see your children and I denied you the right to make your own decisions. I'm so sorry…I wish I could go back in time and fix all these mistakes that I've made. Whatever you decide now is your decision and I won't interfere in any way. If you want to be with me and our children, I won't fight it, I'll welcome it. And if you decide to stay with the Order, I'll be happy that you'll finally be able to be the Jedi I know you can be."

Anakin didn't know how to respond. For so long, he had been longing to hear her say anything like that and now that she had said it, it was hard to believe it had actually happened. He nodded suddenly and heard her sigh with relief. He looked up and met her sad eyes. He knew.

He pulled her quickly into his arms and held her tightly. He felt her tense at his sudden movement then she relaxed into his arms and hugged him tightly to her.

"Padme," he whispered into her hair. "I love you. I've always loved you. I know why you did it, I still don't agree with it, but I understand it. I'm just glad that you're finally ready to let us be happy."

Her hands grasped his face and kissed him softly. Anakin gripped her tightly and kissed her deeply. He moved back into the chair and pulled her into his lap which only increased their passion. He only stopped when he felt tears run down her cheeks.

"No…don't cry, Padme." He pushed her hair out of her eyes so he could take her chin in his hand. He gently brushed the tears from her cheeks and lightly kissed where the tears had been.

"I just can't help but think of how much time we've…I've…wasted."

He stroked her cheek lightly. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. Marry me, Padme."

She smiled softly and kissed him fervently. When they finally pulled away, it was to the sound of their children crying.

Anakin smiled tenderly. "Well…I think it's about time I started doing my share around here."

She laughed and hit him playfully on the shoulder as they left the cockpit and headed toward their children's room. Their merriment came to an abrupt halt when Obi-Wan's somber figure crossed their path.

"Obi-Wan…"

Obi-Wan smiled slightly and put his hand reassuringly on Anakin's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, my friend. Believe it or not, but I've always known it would turn out something like this. I couldn't be happier for both of you."

Anakin and Padme exchanged relieved glances as Obi-Wan proceeded to shake Anakin's hand. Padme surprised him by catching him in a quick embrace.

When she released him, she gently kissed his cheek. "Thank you for everything you've done for us, Obi-Wan. Not just for helping us find our children, but for your understanding, your acceptance, and your discretion."

Obi-Wan nodded as Anakin clasped his hand again before excusing himself.

Anakin watched sadly as Obi-Wan took his place in the cockpit. "I'm really going to miss him."

"He can still be part of our lives, Anakin. He can visit, you can send each other…"

"I don't know if the Council will allow that."

Padme sighed and rubbed her temples, very grateful that the twins had stopped crying now. "Oh yeah, the Council."

"Don't worry about them. I'll take care of it."

She sighed again. "Alright."

They looked up as Obi-Wan gently cleared his throat. "We're approaching Coruscant. I've already contacted the Council to let them know you need an audience with them."

Anakin nodded gratefully and rubbed Padme's arms soothingly. "It's better to just get it over with now."

She smiled and kissed him reassuringly then they entered the twins' room to prepare for the landing.

* * *

"Master Kenobi, the Council is glad to hear of your mission's success."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"But Master Skywalker, your disobedience is quite disturbing. You were aware that Master Kenobi was given the mission. Why did you disobey?"

Anakin hesitated before answering. "Because they're my children."

A loud murmur echoed through the room. Suddenly, Anakin knew what it felt like to be in a room full of one's enemies.

"When I was a little boy on Tatooine, all I wanted was to be a Jedi Knight. I came to the Temple with the most honorable intentions and I tried to continue that with the best of my ability. But I fell in love and I had children. I know this is against the Code and I acknowledge that. But I want you to know that my so-called transgression is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I resign my rank of Master and will spend the rest of my days in peace with my family."

The silence in the room was deafening and just when Anakin thought he couldn't take it anymore, Yoda broke the silence.

"Expected this, I did."

Anakin nodded in understanding and dared to make his request. "I just ask that I be allowed to contact Master Kenobi from time to time…he's like a father to me."

Anakin's gaze met Obi-Wan's in that instant and Obi-Wan smiled gratefully before quickly wiping his eyes.

Yoda, having witnessed this exchange, gripped his cane thoughtfully before answering Anakin's request. "Contact him, you may. Return to your family now, you must."

Anakin nodded, then bowed one last time before the Council, then he left. He pushed through the doors and entered the Temple halls. He began walking towards the hangar, but soon he began jogging happily, hardly able to contain his excitement. He ran past the room he had been trained in, past the hall he had eaten his meals in, past the room in had slept in for countless nights, but none of it had been home to him.

When his feet finally carried him to the hangar, his smile brightened at the sight before him. Padme stood there with a slight smile on her face, carefully balancing both of their children on her hips.

"I guess it went well?"

His smile only grew wider as he closed the short distance between them. "It did. I can still talk to Obi-Wan."

She smiled happily as he kissed her softly, then kissed each of his children gently on the head.

"You ready?"

He grinned contentedly as they headed back towards their ship and put his arm lovingly around her shoulders.

"Let's go home, Padme."

THE END.


End file.
